Boot carrying and warp preventing device



y 18, 1965. R. R. MCAUSLAND 3,183,535

BOOT CARRYING AND WARP PREVENTING DEVICE Filed April 19, 1963 I NVENTOR.

Roberf R. Nc/Ius/and 6%! QWM HTTOR NEY United States Patent 3,183,535BOOT CARRYING AND WARP PREVENTING DEVICE Robert R. McAusiand, 1115McGilvra Blvd. E., Seattle 2, Wash. Filed Apr. 19, 1963, Ser. No.274,250 4 Claims. (Cl. 12120.5)

My invention relates to a boot carrying and warp preventing device whichis particularly well adapted for application to ski boots but is notlimited to that use.

An object of my invention is to provide a boot carrying and warppreventing device which is pliable and of light weight, can be foldedcompactly into a small and easily stored package, and can beconveniently carried in the pocket.

Another object is to provide a boot carrying and warp preventing devicewhich is formed entirely of leather or similar pliable material, issimple in construction and not expensive to manufacture, and one whichis easy to use and will not damage the boots to which it is applied.

Warpage of ski boots occurs due to differential drying of the soles ofthe boots. Since the bottom of the sole is waterproofed with a layer ofrubber the drying takes place mainly from the upper or inside surface ofthe sole. The result is that a moisture content gradient will existthrough the sole, the upper or inside surface being dryer than thebottom or outside surface. Since leather contracts as it loses moisturethe toe portion of the boot will tend to curl upward unless it isrestrained. A drying action which is too fast may result in cracks inthe inner surface of the leather part of the sole.

My device is preferably made entirely of leather and when it is appliedto and is in intimate contact with wet boots it will first absorbmoisture from the boots and then, as the boots and the device dry out,it will contract and tighten at about the same rate as the boots andwill not injure the boots.

Boot carrying and warp preventing devices are now available whichcomprise a rigid plate of approximately the same size as the boot solewith clamps at each end which hold the soles of the two boots againstthe opposite sides of said plate. The clamps of these devices engage theboots just above the welt at the toes and engage within the ski bindinggrooves which are provided in the heels of all ski boots. These devicesare of substantial weight and are too large to be comfortably and safelycarried in the pockets of skiers who are wearing their ski boots. Mydevice can be conveniently and safely carried in the pocket by skiers atall times.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. 7

In the drawings- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my boot carrying andwarp preventing device.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view showing said device applied to a pairof ski boots.

FIG. 3 is an exploded plan view showing the two parts of the devicedetached and separated from each other.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of the device with the two parts thereofdetached from each other, as shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a detached perspective view of a clip or fitting which can beused on certain straps of my device to increase the warp preventing orwarp resisting component of force which the device applies to the soleportions of boots.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevation showing the fitting of FIG. 5 appliedto a strap.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on broken line 77 of FIG.6.

Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the severalviews.

In a general way the device of my invention comprises two pliable sidestraps adapted to extend along the respective edges or" the sole andheel portions of two ski boots which are positioned with their soles andheels in face to face contact, said side straps having two pliabledivergent draw straps connected with each end thereof and adapted toextend over and around the toe and heel portions of the boots; buckletype adjusting devices connected with and positioned so that they can beused to tension the side straps and draw straps and in so doing causethe draw straps to bind the two boots together for convenient carryingand in such a manner that warping of the boot soles will be minimized;and a pliable U-shaped handhold loop or carrying strap connected withone end portion of the device.

The construction :of this device may be varied Widely and still provideall of the parts mentioned in the preceeding paragraph. For the purposeof this illustration, but not by way of limitation, the drawings showthe device as being made up of two parts herein referred to in a generalway as a toe part A and a heel part B. However, it will be understoodthat these parts A and B can be reversed as respects their applicationto the toe and heel portions of the boots.

The heel part B comprises two side straps 11 and 12 connected with eachother by two heel-engaging draw straps 13 and 14. I prefer to make theheel part B of a one piece pliable leather strap which has alongitudinal slit 15 mid way between its two edges and preferably aboutmid way between its two ends to form the draw straps 13 and 14. Forboots of large size the strap used for heel part B can conveniently beabout thirty inches long and the slit 15 about seven inches long. Forboots of smaller sizes these dimensions can be varied accordingly.Obviously it would be possible to use separate pieces of strap materialfor parts 11, 12, 13 and 14.

The toe part A, herein shown, comprises a strap 16 having therein alongitudinal slit 17 which provides two toe-engaging draw straps 18 and19. The two respective end portions of the strap 16 are doubled aroundend bars of buckles 20 and 21 and secured by rivets 22. A loop shapedhand-hold strap 23 has its end portions inserted between the doubledover end portions of the strap 16 and the rivets 22 serve to secure theend portions of this handle strap to the buckles 20 and 21 and to thestrap 16. The buckles 20 and 21 are conventional, are not hereindescribed in detail and are typical of numerous readily availablebuckles which may be used. Preferably they are of a clasp type whichdoes not necessitate perforating the straps held thereby and which willhold the strap securely irrespective of the location at which theyengage and grip it.

In FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, the draw straps 13, 14 and 18, 19 are shown indiverging or spread apart relation. However, the normal position ofthese draw straps, when not applied to boots, would be alongside of eachother. Although the buckles 20 and 21 are shown to be attached to thetoe part A close to the toe-engaging draw straps 18 and 19 it will beunderstood that they may be attached to the heel part B and that, byvarying the lengths of the pieces which make up the side straps thebuckles may be positioned at any desired location between thetoeengaging draw straps 18 and 19 and the heel engaging draw straps 13and 14. Also for devices intended for use on boots of one size only itis possible to dispense with the buckle on one side and have the strapon that side non-adjustable.

This device is applied to boots 141, FIG. 2, by positioning the soles aand heels 10b in face to face contacting relation, engaging the drawstraps 18 and 19 with the toe portions of the respective boots so thatthese draw straps extend divergently around said toe portions and overthe tips of the boot soles, similarly engaging the draw'straps 13 and 14with the boot heels 10b so that they extend divergently around said bootheels and lie. in the ski binding grooves 100 of said boot heels anddrawing the side straps 11 and 12 through the buckles to tension theside straps and draw straps on theiboots.

When my device is applied to boots, as shown in FIG. 2, thetoe-engagingdraw straps 18 and 19 and the heelengaging draw straps 13and 14 diverge at a substantial angle in both instances and they areunder tension and exert awarp preventing force component tending to drawand hold the toe portions and the heel portions of the boot solestogether. The force component thus exerted varies in proportion to thetension and in proportion to the angle of divergence between the twodraw straps of a pair, and it is desirable to have means for adjustingthe angle between the two draw straps of each pair. For .this purpose Iprovide a slidable fitting 25 of the type best shown in FIGS. 5, 6 and7. This fitting 25 is in the form of a fiat rectangular piece of strongsheet material having two openings 26 and 27 through which a strap 12passes, and having a medial cross bar 28 which bends or displaces thestrap 12 sidewise and frictionally resists movement of the fitting alongthe strap, particularly when the strap is under tension. Preferably atleast one .of these fittings 25 is provided on a strap of each the toepart A and the .heel part B and if desired two of said fittings 25 canbe used on each of said parts A and B. When the straps are not undertension the fittings 25 are readily movable along them. Moving one ofthe fittings onto or partly onto two divergent draw straps has theeffect of shortening the draw straps and increasing their angle ofdivergence and this increases the force component they exert tending tore sist warpage, that is, the force tending to hold the toe portions andthe heel portions of the boots 10 together.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings clearly disclose apreferred embodiment of my invention but it will be understood thatthisdisclosure is merely illustrative and that changes may be made withinthe scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. Boot carrying and warp preventing means comprising two pliable sidestraps adapted to be positioned longitudinally alongside of the soleportions of twoboots which are disposed with their sole portions inregistration and contact with each other; two pliable drawstrapsconnected between said side straps at each end of the side straps, thetwo draw straps of each pair being adapted'to extend outwardly from theside straps in, planes divergent from each other and each draw strapbeing adapted to extend around and engage a terminal portion of a boot.when the boot carrying device is applied to boots; tensioning meansinterposed in at least one. of said side straps providing tensioningadjustment between the two sets of draw straps; and a pliable loopshaped hand-hold member having its ends connected with the side strapsand draw straps at one end of the boot carrying device, said hand-holdmember extending outwardly beyond the adjacent draw straps.

2. Boot carrying and warp preventing means for application to two bootswhich are positioned with their soles and heels in registration and, inface to face contact comprising two side straps extending along therespective sides of the soles of said boots; two pliable divergentheelengaging draw straps connected between transversely spaced apartends of said side straps, said two heel engaging draw straps extendingdiagonally and divergently around the heelsof the respective boots; twopliable divergent toe-engaging draw straps connected between the othertwo ends of said side straps, said two ,toe engaging draw strapsextending diagonally around the toe portions of said boots over the tipsof the soles thereof in divergent relation; buckle means in the sidestraps providing tensioning adjustment between the two, sets of drawstraps; and a pliable loop shaped hand-hold member having its ends 1connected with two transversely spaced apart ends of said side strapsand extending outwardly beyond the adjacent draw straps.

3. Boot carrying and warp preventing means for application to two bootswhich are positioned with their soles and heels in registering face toface contact comprising a heel part applicable to the boots, said heelpart including a strap having portions adapted to extend alongside ofthe soles of the boots and having in it a longitudinally extending slitpositioned substantially midway between its two edges and spaced fromits two ends, said slit providing two heel-engaging draw straps whichare adapted to extend diagonally and divergently around the heels of therespective boots; a toe part applicable to said boots, said toeipartincluding a strap having. portions adapted to extend alongside of thesoles of the boots and having in it a longitudinally extending slitpositioned approximately mid way between its two edegs and spaced fromits two ends, said slit providing two toe engaging draw straps which areadapted to extend diagonally and divergently over and around the toeportions of the respective boots; buckle means adjustably connecting thestraps of said toe part and the straps of said heel part, wherebytension can be exerted on said draw straps causing said draw straps tohold the sole and heel portions of said two boots tightly together andsecurely holding the boots in the carrier device; and a pliable loopshaped outwardly extending hand hold member connected with one of theparts of said boot carrying and warp preventing device.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 3 in which the strap'forming saidheel part and the strap forming said toe part each have at least oneadjustably mounted fitting thereon and in which said fitting on eachstrap is slidably movable to position it'at least partially on the drawstraps of the strap by which it is carried to vary the effective length,angle of divergence and applied force of said draw straps. V 7

References Cited bythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,042,364 10/12Mellen 12l20.5 1,106,465 8/14 Loomis l2120.5 2,522,636 9/50 Pohlmann1212 0. 5 3,013,286 12/61 Barreca 12--120.5

FOREIGN PATENTS 101,386 2/99 Germany.

JORDAN Primary Examiner,

1. BOOT CARRYING AND WRAP PREVENTING MEANS COMPRISIING TWO PLIABLE SIDESTRAPS ADAPTED TO BE POSITIONED LONGITUDINALLY ALONGSIDE OF THE SOLEPORTIONS OF TWO BOOTS WHICH ARE DISPOSED WITH THEIR SOLE PORTIONS INREGISTRATION AND CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER; TWO PLIABLE DRAW STRAPSCONNECTED BETWEEN SAID SIDE STRAPS AT EACH END OF THE SIDE STRAPS, THETWO DRAW STRAPS, OF EACH PAIR BEING ADAPTED TO EXTEND OUTWARDLY FROM THESIDE STRAPS IN PLANES DIVERGENT FROM EACH OTHER AND EACH DRAW STRAPBEING ADAPTED TO EXTEND AROUND AND ENGAGE A TERMINAL PORTION OF A BOOTWHEN THE BOOT CARRYING DEVICE IS APPLIED TO BOOTS; TENSIONING MEANSINTERPOSED IN AT LEAST ONE OF SAID SIDE STRAPS PROVIDING TENSIONINGADJUSTMENT BETWEEN THE TWO SETS OF DRAW STRAPS; AND A PLIABLE LOOPSHAPED HAND-HOLD MEMBER HAVING ITS ENDS CONNECTED WITH THE SIDE STRAPSAND DRAWS STRAPS AT ONE END OF THE BOOT CARRYING DEVICE, SAID HAND-HOLDMEMBER EXTENDING OUTWARDLY BEYOND THE ADJACENT DRAW STRAPS.